<span itemprop="author">Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD

When people don’t understand the depths of hell the brain can take someone to, I am relieved for them. And I am also grateful for the journey I’ve been on—I would never have understood how someone who appeared “successful” on pa…

In 2019, I bought a condo, as growing up with the image of the American Dream told me to buy a house as soon as I could. I loved my little condo, but I felt trapped. I decorated the rooms and made it a home, but it wasn’t me. In 2020, I sold it a…

When you allow yourself to truly see and sit with the fact that we are only here for a short period of time, it can feel scary and also freeing. My world became small when I started developing profound anxiety about dying. It was a good sign, actually,…

Such calmness, Groundedness, Beauty, Standing tall and mighty. The sense of peace in your presence— Protected, Safe, A patient teacher. No rah-rah, motivational fluff. Quiet, yet confident, Not rushing, Not chasing, Not running around striving. Still, …

I’ve historically struggled with graduations and transitions—it’s why I help people with transitions now, as I’ve learned how essential it is to have support during these often isolating and destabilizing times. While transitions can …

During my last inpatient admission one month before medical school graduation, an attending told me, “You talk about yourself like it’s one of your patients.” That’s exactly how it often felt (and still feels) to my brain. &#822…

In 2016, I sat on a hospital bed in Utah, having flown from North Carolina for specialized medical treatment as my life was slowly slipping away from starvation. During this time, I was in the Air Force and an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident co…

During her time working with people who were dying, nurse Bronnie Ware found that one of the top 5 regrets is, “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” (Source: The Top Five Regre…